The Sustainable Consumption
and Production Branch works to promote sustainable resource
management in a life cycle perspective for goods and services
produced and used by governments, business and civil society.

The 10YFP adopted at Rio+20

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20) adopted the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on
Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP). This is a concrete and
operational outcome that responds to the 2002 Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation (JPOI) which calls to all stakeholders to “Encourage and
promote the development of a 10-year framework of programmes (10YFP) in
support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift
towards sustainable consumption and production to promote social
and economic development within the carrying capacity of
ecosystems...”.

Group of Friends of Paragraph 47 on Corporate
Sustainability Reporting
This group was formed by the leading Governments of Brazil, Denmark,
France and South Africa on 20 June 2012 following the acknowledgement
of the importance of corporate sustainability reporting in Paragraph
47 of the outcome document of Rio+20 ('The
Future We Want'), and is supported by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

The Group's Charter was released on 7 November 2012 and details
their vision and commitments. Further Governments will be invited
to join the Group, and stakeholders interested in collaborating
with them will be sought.

Download the Charter of the Group of Friends of Paragraph 47
on Corporate Sustainability Reporting:

The Business Case for the Green Economy:
Sustainable Return on InvestmentThis
publication demonstrates the tremendous opportunities for companies
in both developed and developing economies worldwide by transitioning
to a more resource efficient Green Economy. Compelling economic
and scientific data demonstrates the advantages for the financial
bottom line and a wide-ranging collection of case studies give
real-world examples of action taken. Environmental stresses are
increasingly affecting the financial bottom line of companies
all over the world. It makes sense that as we switch to a more
resource efficient and Green Economy - one in which economic growth,
social equity and human development go hand-in-hand with environmental
security - business and industry will be a key driving force.
From corner stores, to medium-sized enterprises and international
conglomerates, there needs to be an understanding that nature
provides us with valuable resources and services that must be
accounted for, and that it is only by safeguarding these resources
and services that we can improve our own livelihoods and those
of future generations. ). ...
Download the Publication
and the Executive
Summary |
more on the Business Case

Sustainable Consumption and Production
for Poverty AlleviationThis
paper explores the type and quality of linkages between the objective
of achieving sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns,
and those of poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
The paper constructs a theoretical framework based on the
analysis of development specialists, as well as scenarios and
empirical data which show how natural resources and the environment
underpin development efforts. A number of case studies in
key economic sectors, including energy, agriculture, waste
management and urban development are provided, to validate this
theoretical framework. These case studies identify
and where possible quantify the combination of economic,
social and environmental gains secured by shifting towards SCP
patterns. The relationship between indicators of development
and SCP is also explored, highlighting important overlaps
and complementarities between them. The paper's conclusions highlight the
economic and social gains for developing countries from the shift
to SCP, which also sustains nature's productive ecosystems.
Download the full report SCP
for Poverty |
Download the Executive
Summary

New
Report: Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production
(SCP) PoliciesThe
Global Outlook on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP)
Policies, developed by the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) with the financial support of the European Commission,
provides a non-exhaustive review of policies and initiatives that
are promoting the shift towards SCP patterns. This report identifies
examples of effective policies and initiatives being implemented
worldwide. It reviews 56 case studies ranging from global multilateral
agreements and regional strategies to specific policies and initiatives
and shows progress achieved in promoting SCP, highlighting best
practices and offering recommendations to scale up and replicate
these important efforts worldwide.
more on the Global Outlook
on SCP Policies |
Download the Executive Summary.
Also Available in
Arabic, Chinese,
French,
Russian
and Spanish.

The
Sustainable Energy for All initiative combines the objective of
ensuring universal access to energy with that of ensuring that
this energy is derived as far as possible from clean and low-carbon
sources. This paper aims to evaluate how stronger policies
towards energy efficiency can contribute to meeting these interlinked
challenges. It seeks to draw lessons about best practice
in energy efficiency policy, picking out key constraints and effective
responses to implement energy efficiency. Drawing on this
analysis, it assesses the work by UNEP on energy efficiency within
the wider practice and on that basis it explores the options for
UNEP in positioning its future work in the area. This paper
covers both the implementation of policies for energy efficiency
in the economy as a whole and the specific case of ensuring access
to energy efficient goods and services in communities recently
connected to modern energy systems, normally to electricity distribution
and clean fuels for cooking and simple industrial processes.